Fluid separator



- l ffy-2 4 @W I' W 128 l i III; 50 i 'l2 I, 17 '0 I6 56 I |I 'I l 28 l)1 22 88 o o 86 l` g3a March 5,1946. FLETCHER 2,395,855 FLUID sEPARAToR Joriginal Filed July so, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 1 95 v INVENTR. JamesFletcher March 5, 1946. ETC;HERv f 2,395,855

` FLUID sEPARAToR original Filed July zo, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 2VINVENToR. v

James F/echr Patented Mar. 5, 1946 UNITED STAT-ES- OFFICE;

FLUID; SEPARATOR" James Fletcher, Akron,

Babcock &' Wilcox-.Com corporation of-` New- Jer Original applicationVJul 348,369. Divided and Ohio, assignoral to;- The; 1, pa/ny,Rockleigli, N. J., Ia ser1 y 30', 1940,*V Serial No.- thisapplication-September 28, 1943,`Se1ial N0. 504,102v

(CL, 1S3-,8.0),

1A Claim."

This invention relates-to'steam-generators hav-- ingsteam and waterdrums kin which centrifugal separators are employed. The invention isalso particularly concerned with a system involvingcentrifugal means foreffecting-the separation of iiuids of different densities.

The invention involves-a circular Whirl chamber into which a mixture ofsteam and water is directed tangentially at a, high velocity, this action setting up a whirlingk motion of the fluid within the chamber.Inthis chamber,nthe steam isV separated from Water,v and-the rformerpasses from the chamber through an vupper circular out-- letvvhich isarranged eccentrically with. refer-- The separated .water ence to thewhirl chamber. is discharged through another outlet preferably dispo-sedat the bottom-.of thechamber:

Withthe whirl chamber inletnear the topf of` the Whirlchamber and asteam outlet arranged at the top of the chamber thereof; there is amaximum annular Width or space between `the outside edge of the steam/outlet and theadjacentwhirl chamber wall in the zone o-fr the inlet.vr

and eccentrically` With a whirl chamber of. a given diameter and with` asteam outletfof at.

given diameter, the eccentric relationship of` the--vv steam outlet andspace requirements :in ythe rality of the illustrativea separatorchamber. This; is particularly.` im:- portant in the steamvand waterdrumsv of high pressure steam generators, where,ron.account of the highcost of drumsifor high pressures, itis. necessary that drum: spaceanddrumdiameters.-

be minimized.

This invention also involves whirl chambers arranged with tangentialinlets, acharacteristic eccentric relationship of the steam outletandthe whirly chamberyto and. water separating.- capacities' of boilerdrums and thereby minimize the drumspace required'for a Vgivenvboiler,YbyA making it possibletoarrange agreater number` which combines with thefurther improve the steam of the illustrative Whirl chambers'withinV asteam and` Water drum.

The invention also involves suchen-arrange ment and mounting of theindividual Whirlchamber units Within-a steam and -vvater drum thatperiodic removal of the individual units to give access to boilertubeends; is facilitated.

Among other objects, theinvention is intended-A to providemeans'for-maintainingthe incomingmixture ofsteam andWater.relativelyfree from the Whirl. chamber improves; Y iluidseparation and increases the capacity ofthe Whirl chamber while atthe'same; time minimizes arrangement of .a pl'u- Whirl chambers,Withinthe disturbing inuences arisingffrom the-impact-: off-'theswirling-water-after-it has completed they,-y

major part o f its rstmovement about the whirl chamber. An additionalobject is to eiectthisfresultlwithout incurringundeslrab-le reactiondue:-

to excessive deflection o-ftthe whirling mixture;A

Another object isf-to sofconstruct and arrange` the-componentsof theseparator that the incom.

ing `stream'of steam= and Water is1subject fto` ai.

minimum of iiowV resistance. y

It is also an object vof the invention to soar.- range thesteamxoutlet'with referencev to,` the. Whirl chamber that any optimum flow of,separated steamlmay take. place.

The-- invention contemplates Y the use of'. `steam andiwaterseparato-rsA in afhigh pressure steam:

generator tor. improve circulatory conditions and., enable# the;generator; to operate at highwater:V levelstand stillsupply dry steam;The use of the illustrative separatorsin ,a steam and water` ,drum

oftasteam, generator is characterized bythe fact, that thehighvelocitiesof the steamand water mixtures are utilized in separatingthe compo nent' parts` of these A mixtures `without subjecting theincomingmixture to excessive flow resistance-.v` Each-separator maybearranged to receive the-.-

comb-ineddischargeof several water heating, or

steam generating tubes; and yet, be so arranged: andl constructed thatitf may be easily removed:

from its operative position for inspection of the related boiler partsaswell as the separator itself.

OtherA objects-,ofthe-invention- Will appear as the,v followingdescription` proceeds and the in-v vention will bra-describedAWithreference to ani embodiment which is` illustrated in the accom`panyingidrawings.

Inthedrawings.:

Fig.-1 isga vertical section -ofasteam generator t utilizing.the-invention;

Fig..2ris, a detail view in the natureof a-,ver-v steam and Water drum-Atical section; through the of the Fig, 1 installation;

Fis.,3 is la .verticalsectin through one of; the fillustrative;separators; ;A

Eig: 4; istI a; horizontal;L section l.on the line li-4.;-

Fig.- 5 isy a verticalisectionr through. the steam;Y e* and waterdrumrshowingthe arrangementfof;ai`

pluralityv of: separators employed therein; and

Fig. 6 isa horizontalsectionionvthe linelie-8: ofsFig. 51 ofthe-drumshowing'the arrangementillustrative separators; inplan; This rfigure`isgp'artly,brokenawayfto show the arraingementzof;

ofthe the inlet `nozzles f for -iadj acent Whirl chambers.

The illustrative separator(- includesvv a pluralityof substantiallycircular whirl chambers l each having an inlet I2 through which amixture of steam and water is discharged into the whirl chamber at highvelocity.

Within each whirl chamber, steam, separated from the water, passesupwardly through a circular steam outlet I4 determined by the downwardlyextending ange, or cylindrical structure I5 which is xed to the top ofthe whirl chamber. The eccentric relationship of the whirl chamber` andthe separated steam outlet is indicated in Fig. 4 in which the center ofthe outlet is indicated at A while the whirl chamber center is indicatedat B. Fig. 6 also shows this eccentric relationship.

When the whirl chambers I0 are arranged in rows as indicated in Figs. 5and 6 of the drawings, they are supported so that their steam outletsare spaced downwardly from the horizontal shroud structures l5 and l1.These structures also provide support for a number of multiple plateseparators, or scrubbers I8 disposed over the steam outlets of the whirlchambers. It is important that the separated steam be as free' fromwater as possible andthis condition is promoted by the provision of thesteam discharge openings I8 and 20 between the shroud structures I6 andI1, respectively, and the tops of the whirl chambers. I These openingspermit communication between the drum steam space and the whirl chambersteam outlets, beneath the shroud flanges 2| and 23. With thisconstruction, pressure drop is reduced and the loading of the multipleplate separators is made more uniform.

In each whirl chamber, the separated water is discharged downwardlythrough circumferentially arranged outlets such as those indicated at 22and 26. They are separated by successive vanes 26 arranged in an annularseries between a bottom plate 28 and a wall of the whirl chamber. Belowthe outlets a baffle 21 directs the separated water toward the centralportion of the associated drum.

The arrangement of elements is such that the steam and water inlet I2communicates directly with the circumferential space between the flangeI5 and the whirl chamber wall at a point where the flange is at agreater distance from the wall, due to the eccentricity of the whirlchamber and the wall I5 as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. This arrangementoiers a minimum of flow resistance and thus improves the circulation inthe uid system without additional space requirement for the separators.This is particularly important when the separators are utilized inboiler drums.

Means is also provided for preventing the flooding of the space adjacentthe steam and water inlet and for minimizing the passage of waterthrough the outlets I4 and the scrubbers IB along with the steam,` andthis means is effective to accomplish these results without involvingundesirable reation arising from excessive deflection of the whirlingstream within the ranged in opposite rows within the steam and waterdrum 5G in the manner indicated in Figs. l, 2, 5, and 6 of the drawings,and, for this purpose, each whirl chamber is provided at its steam andwater inlet nozzle with a heavy flange 52 for securement to uprightplates 56and 51 which are affixed to the drum in the positions indicatedin Fig. 2. As indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings the flanges 52, rigidwith the whirl chamber inlet structures 541 have beveled edges whichco-operate with similarly formed edges on the fixed bars 55 and 58 andthe removable wedge bars 60 to facilitate the original assembly of aplurality of the illustrative whirl chambers within a drum and likewisefacilitate the removal of the whirl chambers when access tothe drum endsof the steam generator tubes is desired.

The whirl chambers are arranged in pairs with the tangential huid inletsof each pair parallel to each other and normal to their supporting plate(either 56 or 51), as indicated in Figs. 4 and 6 of the drawings. In theinstallation of suchla pair of whirl chambers, one of them with itsinlet structure 54 is moved upwardly beneath the shelf I5 with the faceof the flange against the plate 55 and the right-hand beleved edge (seeFig. 4) disposed within the groove formed by the plate 5E and thebeveled edge of the bar 58. Then the adjacent whirl chamber is similarlydis posed with its ange 52 facing against the plate 55 and its left-handbeveled edge fitting within the groove formed by the bar 55 and theplate 55. Thereafter, with the adjacent whirl chambers held in thepositions indicated, the wedge bar 50 is placed in position with itsopposite beveled edges in contact with the remaining beveled edges ofthe flanges 52 and 62 and the wedge bar is forced into operativeposition by the tightening of nuts 55 arranged upon bolts secured to theplate 55. Thus the inclined edges with the wedge bar 6! bear upon theinclined faces of adjoining nozzle (or inlet structure) flanges andco-operate with the fixed wedges (formed by the inclined surface of thebars 55 and 53) bearing upon the opposite inclined faces of the nozzleanges to force the flanges into water-tight relationship with the plate56 and to maintain it in such relationship.

In the above described action, it is to be noted that no access isnecessary to the spaces between the plates 55 and 51 and the adjacentwalls of the drum 5. It is only necessary to insert a socket wrench inthe space between adjacent whirl chambers, this socket wrench engagingthe nuts B5 to operate them and thus secure the whirl chambers in theiroperative positions. This manner of mounting the whirl chambers permitsa close spacing of those chambers throughout the length of the drum andthus increases the steam and water separating capacity of the drum, perunit of drum length. The eccentric relationship of the steam outlets andthe whirl chambers permits the tangential arrangement of the inletnozzles or structures 54 which, in turn, permits such a closely spacedarrangement of the whirl chambers in pairs as indicated in Figs. 4 and6, thus, these co-acting structural relationships combining to provideincreased steam and water separating capacity for a given drum.length,.and to aiord an improved manner of assembling and disassemblingthe illustrative separators within a steam and water drum.

The plates 55 and 51 combine with the drum wall and the segmental plates88-83 to form a compartment which receives the steam and waterdischarged into the drum by the steam generating tubes. These plates arepreferably of such width that they may be passed through a drum manway,and the upper edges of the plates 8i) and 83 are 'arranged withvapor-tight slip joint connections 86 and 88 with the lower edges of theplates I and 51, the adjoining edges of the plates 80-88 being united bythe spanner clamps 90-92. This entire assembly is one which increasesaccessibility of the drum ends of the steam generating tubes, and thisis of particular importance in connection with marine boilers where theinternal drum chamber connecting with the whirl chambers must embracealmost the entire lower half oi' the drum due to the extent of drumconnections oi the steam generating tubes.

Steam and water mixtures are discharged into the internal drum chamber85 by the steam generating tubes of two upwardly converging banks oftubes |00 and |02 which are in communication at their lower ends withthe water drums |04 and |06, and, in the natural circulation boilershown, the downcomers |08 and |I0 connect the water space of the drum 50with the drums |04 and |06. A

The banks of tubes |00 and |02 are disposed above furnaces ||6 and H8,respectively, the latter being red by the sets of burners and |22.

In the steam generator shown in Fig. 1 oi the drawings, the furnaces areseparated by a wall |24 which may include tubes |26 directly connectingthe drum 50 with the header I I2 which is connected into the boilercirculation.

Steam andwater ypasses from the drum chamber 95 through the illustrativeseparators and the separated steam discharged from the separators,passes through the steam oir-take |28, and through the superheatersupply conduit |30 to a superheater |32, some of the tubes of which arepreferably arranged between some of the tubes of the bank |02.

The feed water pipe |38 in the water space of the drum, is provided foradding water to replace that removed by the steam generated.

Furnace gases and after passing through the banks of the tubes |00 and|02 pass over the heat exchangesurfaces of the economizers |34 and|36and thence to one or more nues or stacks.

This application is a divisional application of the parent application348,369 entitled Fluid separator, and iiled on July 30, 1940. (Abandonedfor lack of prosecution May 31, 1944.)

What is claimed is:

In a fluidsystem of the type having an inlet, and an -outlet chamberwith fluid flowing from the former to the latter, and means supplyingthe inlet chamber with a mixture of fluids of different densities at apressure higher than the pressure in the outlet chamber; the combinationtherewith of several tangential inlet whirl chamber uid separatorsalternately constructed with right and left tangential inlets by whichthe whirl chambers are securedl in alternation to a wall of the inletchamber, the arrangement being such that there are va plurality of pairsof separators with the yright and left tangential inlets of theseparators parallelism and closely of each pair disposed in adjacenteach other, the pairs of inlets being relatively widely spaced along thewall of the inlet chamber, and securing devices each includingreleasable means common to the closely adjacent inlets of a pair forreleasably securing those inlets and their separators to the wall of theinlet chamber with the inlets in communication with the inlet chamber,the separators of each pair being independently movable upon release oftheir assoelated releasable means.

JAMES FLETCHER.

other combustion products.v

